Noble Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus are an important part of the Hisui region’s culture. They are revered by the people of the Diamond Clan and the Pearl Clan as godlike figures, and each has their own handler who is responsible for taking care of their needs. Some of Hisui’s Noble Pokemon, including Wyrdeer, Ursaluna, and Basculegion, offer to help the player character by helping them traverse the Hisui region via flying, swimming, climbing, and more. Other Noble Pokemon, such as Kleavor, Lilligant, and Electrode, are affected by a mysterious energy and become frenzied, forcing the player to battle them to calm them down.
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Noble Battles Are a Break From Traditional Gym Battles
Prior to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, most combat in the Pokemon series has taken the form of battles between Pokemon Trainers, who send between one and six Pokemon into battle against each other. In order to become the Champion of their respective region, the player must defeat a series of Gym Leaders, each of whom typically specialize in one type of Pokemon. Many main series games also feature an Elite Four, a set of four particularly powerful Trainers who are the final obstacle standing between the player and that region’s Trainer. This formula is highly standard and, despite some variation in the form of Pokemon Sun and Moon’s Trial Captains or Pokemon Sword and Shield’s lack of an Elite Four, has generally appeared in most Pokemon games.
Noble Pokemon battles, in which a player takes on a single large, frenzied Pokemon with their chosen team, mark a major difference from the traditional Gym Leader and Elite Four battles. First, players must temporarily stun and calm the frenzied Pokemon using “balms” prepared by their guardian. Once they have successfully thrown enough balms, they can send out a Pokemon to attack their Noble opponent. The battle does not end until the Noble Pokemon’s frenzy has completely calmed and they have returned to sanity. Noble battles are fast-paced and frantic, with real-time elements not present in standard Gym challenges.
Noble Pokemon Make Catching ‘Em All More Challenging
Another unique element of Noble Pokemon battles in Pokemon Legends: Arceus is that the Pokemon themselves cannot be caught after the battle has concluded. Because the Noble Pokemon are important to the Clans and serve key roles as guardians of the land, their guardians do not permit them to be used in battle by the player. Instead, if the player wants to add these Pokemon to their Pokedex, they have to catch their first-stage evolution and then evolve them naturally. Many of the Noble Pokemon have unique evolution conditions that make them difficult to acquire, such as needing a somewhat rare item called Black Augurite to evolve Scyther into Kleavor.
“Gotta catch ’em all” has been the series’ catchphrase since the first Pokemon games released decades ago. Pokemon Legends: Arceus brought that phrase back into prominence; the player, a member of Jubilife Village’s Survey Corps, is tasked to gather information about the different species of Pokemon residing in Hisui for the first time. Including special Pokemon that can be battled but not caught, could further emphasize the importance of “Gotta catch ’em all” in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet by forcing players to seek out creative ways to get certain Pokemon.
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The Terastal Phenomenon Could Be Used for Noble Battles
The gameplay gimmick of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is the Terastal phenomenon, which allows Pokemon to take on a crystal-like appearance which also changes their type in battle. Their new type is signified by an elaborate headdress - a Tera Jewel - in a similar crystal pattern. So far, it has been confirmed that up to four players will be able to team up and take down giant Terastal Pokemon in Tera Raids, a feature inspired by the Max Raids and Dynamax Adventures of Pokemon Sword and Shield.
However, enormous Terastal Pokemon could easily make other appearances around the world. Players could fight them solo Noble Battle-style as part of the Treasure Hunt hosted by the two Pokemon Academies, during which they are encouraged to study the Terastal phenomenon in greater detail. As Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are confirmed to have three different stories, only one of which will feature the standard Gym battles. Fighting individual Terastallized Pokemon could be a good way to add challenging “boss battle”-like encounters to the other two story paths. They could even tie in to a function similar to Legends: Arceus’ research tasks, where players had to fill out their journal with specific information about different Terastal Pokemon.
Noble Battles Would Make an Open World Feel More Lived-In
Including Noble Pokemon-inspired battles would also make a great addition to the Paldea region’s large open world. The Wild Area, a smaller open world equivalent introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield, received some criticism for occasionally feeling repetitive and empty with not much to do besides battling and catching the Pokemon that resided there. Noble Pokemon - or perhaps their Terastallized equivalent - could serve as overworld challenges for players that encourage them to explore every corner of Paldea.
Additionally, introducing frenzied Pokemon could be an interesting plot element that could make the player feel more connected to the people who reside in Paldea. A story quest to quell frenzied Pokemon, much like in Legends: Arceus, could serve as impetus for players to visit multiple towns and familiarize themselves with the region. The source of these Noble Pokemon-like frenzies and battles could be the region’s unrevealed villainous Team, similar to Team Rocket, Team Plasma, or the Aether Foundation of previous generations. This would be a good way to make the Team seem like a genuine threat. Regardless of how they are implemented, Noble Pokemon-like battles would be a major positive addition to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will release on November 18, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.
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